


Cave Mistakes

by sprucewoodcottage (ironmermaidens)



Category: Hermitcraft
Genre: First Kiss, Huddling For Warmth, M/M, mild whump, minecraft cave noises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:22:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24247993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ironmermaidens/pseuds/sprucewoodcottage
Summary: Xisuma and Evil X get lost in a cave, and it's definitely not Evil X's fault.
Relationships: Xisuma/Evil Xisuma
Comments: 2
Kudos: 113





	Cave Mistakes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RemainingQuestions](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RemainingQuestions/gifts).



> I feel like anyone who knows me that didn't already know I ship this is probably completely unsurprised by this development.
> 
> Written for RemainingQuestions, who gave me the prompt "huddling for warmth" and that I turned into a first kiss scenario because I'm just absolutely obsessed with first kisses, apparently.

Xisuma glances down one branch of the cave, then down the other. Both are dark. He hears a rattling of bones and zombie groans down the left, and opts to instead follow the squeaking of bats down the right, but regardless of which path he's chosen, one thing is for certain. He is completely and utterly lost. 

He has been lost for an hour or so now. He isn't entirely concerned for his own safety—he's brought plenty of food and protection along with him, but... 

"This is your fault," Evil X grumbles from behind him, his words lacking their usual bite.

"Excuse me? My fault?" Xisuma responds indignantly, turning to level his counterpart with a stern look. "Who snuck up on who?"

Evil X grumbles again, too low to make out any actual words this time, and Xisuma deflates. He looks miserable wearing only his thin undershirt, hands rubbing at his upper arms to generate any sort of warmth down in these chilly tunnels. Evil X _had_ been the one to sneak up on Xisuma while he was exploring a nearby mineshaft, but Xisuma is the one who took such a hard swing at Evil X with his pickaxe that he'd dented Evil X's chest piece beyond any sort of wearability. 

...And of course, knocked Evil X off the wooden support platform into this cave, where his helmet had also been busted beyond use. Even with the padding inside of his helmet to protect him, he probably still had a mild concussion from the fall.

Xisuma sighs. "C'mon, I'm sure we're getting close to an exit."

"You said that already," Evil X says. "At least three times in the last hour alone."

"And we're even closer now than we were then!" Xisuma responds with forced cheer. He was only too aware of just how lost he actually was.

"We're lost," Evil X says. Apparently, so was he. Xisuma grimaces.

"Alright, fine. We're lost." Xisuma concedes. "Let's... Let's just keep moving. We're not going to find a way out just standing here."

Evil X huffs, but follows after Xisuma down the tunnel. 

And down the next.

And the next.

When they come to the next chamber, branching off into two distinct paths, Evil X groans. Xisuma glances behind himself at his counterpart, who looks even worse than before. Xisuma sees a near imperceptible shiver raking through Evil X and winces. 

He turns to the new branches, then back to Evil X, whose attention has drifted to the pebbles at his feet. He kicks at them listlessly, misses almost all of them. Xisuma's heart sinks. Evil X can't go much further like this. He needs a break and medical attention, even if Xisuma isn't particularly well equipped to provide that right now. He sighs, and rather than stepping determinedly down a randomly selected tunnel, Xisuma begins to walk the perimeter of the chamber, placing torches on the walls to properly light the room up. 

"What are you doing?" Evil X asks, having finally looked up when Xisuma began to move. "The tunnels are over here—"

"We're not going down the tunnels, Evil X," Xisuma says.

"Why not?" Evil X narrows his eyes.

"You're in no condition to keep going forward," Xisuma says. Evil X opens his mouth to argue, but Xisuma continues, cutting him off before he can. "Look at yourself, Evil X. You're practically an icicle, and you're barely staying on your feet."

"Am not," Evil X protests, but like before, the words have no bite to them. Evil X sullenly kicks at the pebbles by his feet again, and once more misses. He frowns. "I'm fine."

"You need rest," Xisuma says with a tone of finality, placing one last torch on the chamber walls. "We both do. Now come over here and sit."

Xisuma motions Evil X close, and Evil X purses his lips, glancing back at the two tunnels before him as if considering plunging on ahead by himself. Another shiver passes through his spine and he sighs heavily, turning and sulking over to Xisuma's side. Xisuma smiles and helps Evil X to sit, doesn't let his expression waver despite how easily Evil X allows himself to be maneuvered. 

Xisuma sits next to him, a respectful bit of space between them, but still close enough to examine Evil X's face for any signs of pain or distress. "That bad, huh?"

"...Head hurts," Evil X finally mumbles. "'m dizzy, an' tired. Cold."

Evil X shivers again and hunches in on himself. Xisuma clucks his tongue and scoots closer to his counterpart, undoing the buckles on his own chest armor as he does. He lets it drop to the ground with an echoing clattering. Before Evil X can question him, he wraps an arm around his shoulders, pulls the other close to his chest. 

" _What_ are you doing?" Evil X asks, his entire body stiff, save for the shivering. 

"Well, it would be awfully selfish of me to keep all this body heat to myself, don't you think?" Xisuma chortles. Evil X groans and wriggles in Xisuma's arms, as if trying to escape his hold. "C'mon, you'll warm up much faster like this."

Evil X pauses, and then after a moment groans, settling down in Xisuma's arms with a grumpy little grunt that pulls another soft chuckle out of Xisuma. He squeezes Evil X a little tighter, rubbing his upper arm gently as he does. 

"There, isn't that better?"

"No," Evil X spits, but he makes no further move to escape. Xisuma smiles. After a few minutes like this, Evil X's shivers seem to subside, and along with it, his stubbornness. Perhaps his unwavering vigilance has simply drained the last of his energy. Either way, he feels Evil X begin to relax against his chest. His head moves to rest in the crook of Xisuma's neck, and Xisuma reaches up to release the hermetic seal on his helmet, pulling it off and setting it aside so that Evil X has more space to lay his head.

"...I'm sorry I hit you, Evil X," Xisuma says. "We wouldn't be in this mess if I hadn't overreacted like that."

Evil X is silent for a moment. Then, quietly, "Shouldn't have snuck up on you..."

Xisuma smiles ruefully. "You shouldn't have. Seems neither of us acted very properly, did we?"

Evil X grunts and presses closer to Xisuma, and Xisuma can't help but blush as Evil X's nose nuzzles against his neck. Without thinking he lowers his own head and presses a kiss against Evil X's temple. Both of them freeze in place as they register what Xisuma has just done. 

Evil X is the first to recover, pulling away to level Xisuma with a surprised look. He meets no resistance from Xisuma this time, still too shocked at himself to react. Evil X's face is red, and Xisuma wonders if the heat he feels in his cheeks means his own is as well. 

" _What are you doing?_ _"_ Evil X demands. Xisuma finds himself focused on Evil X's lips, parted as if his counterpart is about ready to begin tearing into him for that kiss, yet all Xisuma can imagine now is what they would feel like against his own. He supposes if he's going to have to listen to Evil X's complaining either way, he might as well give him a real reason to do it. 

"This," He says, and grabs hold of Evil X's shoulders, pulling him close until their lips are smashed together again. He cringes, remembering Evil X's head injury just a moment too late, but it seems Evil X is unconcerned with the state of his head now as he returns the kiss, melting into Xisuma's embrace as he does. Xisuma pulls Evil X onto his lap, and some annoyingly pragmatic part of his mind helpfully tells him that it'll be easier to help maintain Evil X's body temperature with his bottom no longer on the cold cave floor. He gently shushes that part of his brain, and instead thinks about the comfortable weight of Evil X in his lap, the curve of his spine under his hands, and how perfect his mouth feels again Xisuma's own. 

He can feel Evil X's hands gripping his shoulders, holding tight as if he was unsure of his own balance. The annoyingly pragmatic part of his brain reminds him once more of Evil X's head injury. Xisuma pulls away from the kiss begrudgingly. Evil X gives him a confused look, and with a sigh Xisuma says, "...Perhaps that should wait until our situation isn't so dire. You still need to rest."

Evil X frowns and huffs. "Fine. But you started it this time."

Xisuma chuckles. "Alright, alright, I take full blame for this one."

"Good," Evil X says, and curls up in Xisuma's arms again, shifting until he's found a cozy position, head tucked under Xisuma's chin, one arm pinned between Xisuma's torso and his own, the other wrapped around Xisuma's waist. Xisuma wraps his own arms around Evil X, squeezing him gently as he does.

"I have a good feeling about that left tunnel," Xisuma says. 

"No way," Evil X mumbles. "We want to take the right tunnel."

"You be quiet and rest," Xisuma teases.

" _You_ be quiet and rest," Evil X mocks, and the venom to his words is as absent as before. Xisuma chuckles again, and presses a gentle kiss to the top of Evil X's head.

"Alright. We'll both rest. And then, we'll take the left tunnel."


End file.
